Wire termination device

ABSTRACT

A wire termination device ( 24 ) of the type having a body ( 25 ) with a first through-bore ( 26 ) into which protrudes wedging means ( 27 ) urged by spring means ( 28 ) and having a second through-bore ( 33 ) without wedging means, is characterised in that the second through-bore ( 33 ) is interrupted by a transverse notch ( 34 ), and each body portion ( 35 A,  35 B) separated by the notch ( 34 ) has a longitudinal entry slot into the second through-bore ( 33 ) with the slot ( 36 A) in one portion ( 35 A) at the opposite side of the body ( 25 ) to the slot ( 36 B) in the other portion ( 35 B), whereby the device ( 24 ) can be affixed for a horizontal wire ( 37 ) of a stock-fence by presenting the notch ( 34 ) to the wire ( 37 ) and then turning the device ( 24 ) so as to enable the wire ( 37 ) to pass through both slots ( 36 A,  36 B), whereafter a free end ( 38 ) of the wire ( 37 ) can be inserted into the first through-bore ( 26 ) after passing round an end post ( 39 ) to be secured in the device ( 24 ) by the wedging means ( 27 ).

This invention relates to a wire termination device such as is used to secure an end of a fence line wire, a trellis or vineyard wire, or a stock fence wire to an end post.

Such a device is known having a body with a through-bore into which protrudes wedging means (such as a ball, roller, wedge or cam lever) urged by spring means, whereby a wire inserted in one direction into the through-bore can push past the wedging means, but on attempting to withdraw the wire from the device in the opposite direction the wedge means is urged by the spring means to grip the wire. Such device may abut an end post (e.g. of metal) having a hole through which the wire is passed before being inserted into the termination device.

Such a device is also known having, additionally, a second through-bore without wedging means, enabling the device to be used to secure a wire end to a post without a hole (e.g. a round wooden post) by passing the wire through the second through-bore, then round the post, and finally through the bore with the wedging means.

The object of the present invention is to adapt such a device as finally described above for quick and easy deployment on a stock fence having a plurality of horizontal or line wires (e.g., eight or ten) and spaced vertical wires secured to the horizontal wires, either by twisting therearound or by a separate piece of wire twisted around the cross-over point; the problem with which, when terminating round a post, has been the time expended and effort needed to remove vertical wires in order to ensure an adequate end portion of each horizontal wire to pass through the second through-bore of the device, then round the end post and finally through the bore with the wedging means.

According to the present invention, a wire termination device of the type having a body with a first through-bore into which protrudes wedging means urged by spring means, and having a second through-bore without wedging means, is characterised in that the second through-bore is interrupted by a transverse notch in the body of a width commensurate with the diameter of the horizontal wires of a stock fence with which the device is to be used, and each portion of the body separated by the notch is provided with a longitudinal entry slot into the second through-bore commensurate with the diameter of said horizontal wires, with the slot in one portion at the opposite side of the body to the slot in the other portion.

The second through-bore may be parallel to the first through-bore or in the same plane but diverging therefrom, e.g. at about 30°, thus the device can be affixed to a horizontal wire of a stock fence by presenting the notch to the wire and then turning the device so as to enable the horizontal wire to pass through both slots and become aligned within the remainder of the second through-bore, whereafter a free end of the horizontal wire can be inserted into the first through-bore, after passing round an end post, to be secured in the device by the wedging means. The free end of wire may be passed through the first through-bore so as to project therefrom to enable a tensioning tool to be applied thereto; however, as the wire adjacent the free end must be kinked sharply to enter the first through-bore, it is preferable for tensioning of the wire round the post to be effected when it has been connected to a corresponding horizontal wire in a successive length of stock fence by a connecting and tensioning device of the type having parallel through-bores each of which has associated wedging means preventing withdrawal of wires inserted in opposite directions.

Alternatively—and preferably—the second through-bore may be perpendicular to the first through-bore; thus the device can be affixed to a horizontal wire of a stock fence by presenting the notch to the wire and then turning the device so as to enable the horizontal wire to pass through both slots and become aligned within the remainder of the second through-bore, whereafter a free end of the horizontal wire can be inserted into the first through-bore after passing round an end post; alternatively, the device can be affixed to a vertical wire of a stock fence by presenting the notch to the wire, intermediate two horizontal wires or straddling the twist of the vertical wire round one horizontal wire, and then turning the device so as to enable the vertical wire to pass through both slots and become aligned within the remainder of the second through-bore, whereafter a free end of the horizontal wire can be inserted into the first through-bore after passing round an end post. Both through-bores may lie in the same plane; thus the end of a horizontal wire inserted into the first through-bore will abut the horizontal or vertical wire aligned within the second through-bore, tensioning of the horizontal wire about the end post being effected when it has been connected to a corresponding horizontal wire in a successive length of stock fence by a connecting and tensioning device of the type having parallel through-bores each of which has associated wedging means preventing withdrawal of wires inserted from opposite directions. Alternatively, and preferably, the through-bores lie in separate planes; whereby, the end of a horizontal wire inserted through the first through-bore can pass beyond the portion of horizontal or vertical wire aligned within the second through-bore, so that a tensioning tool may be applied to the end portion of the horizontal wire projecting beyond that horizontal or vertical wire.

There may be one or more vertical wires between the device and the end post, which, in the absence of the notch and the slots in the body, would have had to be removed to enable the horizontal wire to be passed through the un-interrupted second through-bore, then round the end post, and back to and through the first through-bore with wedging-means.

It will be appreciated that a device according to the invention can alternatively be used with a plain fence line wire, a trellis or vineyard wire to secure said wire round an end post in the manner as before, passing the said wire through the notched and slotted second through-bore before passing said wire round the end post and through the first through-bore.

Three embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of wire termination device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the other side of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the device as seen from the right-hand side of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the device as seen from the left-hand side of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the device of FIGS. 1 to 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the device taken from the line A-A in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 to 11 are fragmentary perspective views showing stages in the application of the device of FIGS. 1 to 6 to secure a horizontal wire of a stock fence to an end post;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary plan corresponding to FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of wire termination device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 14 is an elevation of the other side of the device of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an end elevation of the device as seen from the right-hand side of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an end elevation of the device as seen from the left-hand side of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the device of FIGS. 13 to 16;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the device of FIGS. 13 to 16 taken from the line B-B of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 corresponds to FIG. 12 but shows the device of FIGS. 13 to 18 in place of the device of FIGS. 1 to 6; and

FIGS. 20 and 21 correspond to FIGS. 18 and 19 but show a modified form of device in accordance with the invention affording easier transitions of wire through the device.

The device 24 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 has a body 25 of zinc alloy with a first through-bore 26 into which protrudes wedging means 27 consisting of a ribbed roller of ceramic material urged by a coil compression spring 28 retained by an abutment 29 of nylon having ribs 30 snapping into apertures 31 (only one shown) in flanks 32 of the body. A second through-bore 33 is interrupted by a transverse notch 34 in the body of a width commensurate with the diameter of the horizontal wires of a stock fence with which the device is to be used (see FIGS. 7 to 12), and each portion 35A, 35B of the body separated by the notch is provided with a longitudinal entry slot 36A, 36B into the second through-bore commensurate with the diameter of said horizontal wires, with the slot 36A in the portion 35A at the opposite side of the body to the slot 36B in the portion 35B.

For the purposes of the description of the manner of application of the device, the portions of the body separated by the notch 34 will be referred to as “hooks” 35A, 35B (facing oppositely with their free edges spaced from the rest of the body 25 by the longitudinal entry slots 36A, 36B).

The second through-bore 33 in the device 24 of FIGS. 1 to 6 is perpendicular to the first through-bore 26; thus this device can be affixed to a horizontal wire 37 of a stock-fence by presenting the notch 34 to the wire (as shown in FIG. 7) and then turning the device (as shown in FIG. 8) so as to enable the horizontal wire to pass through both slots 36A, 36B and become aligned within the remainder of the second through-bore 33 (as can be seen in FIG. 9), whereby the device is affixed to the wire 37 by the oppositely facing hooks 35A, 35B. A free end 38 of the horizontal wire is shown in FIG. 10 being inserted into the first through-bore 26 after passing round an end post 39, whereafter surplus wire can be cropped off at 40 between the hooks 35A, 35B (see FIGS. 11 and 12), the end 38 of the horizontal wire 37 being able to pass beyond the portion of horizontal wire aligned with the second through-bore 33 by virtue of the through-bores 26, 33 lying in separate planes.

Tensioning of the horizontal wire 37 about the end post 39 may be effected by applying a tensioning tool (not shown) to the free end 38 before cropping-off surplus wire or it may be effected when it has been connected to a corresponding horizontal wire in a successive length of stock fence (not shown) by a connecting and tensioning device (not shown) of the type having parallel through-bores each of which has associated wedging means preventing withdrawal of wires inserted from opposite directions, e.g. a GRIPPLE® device.

FIG. 12 shows that there is only one vertical wire 44 above and below the horizontal wire 37 between the device 24 and the end post 39 (but there could be two or more), which, in the absence of the notch 34 and slots 36A, 36B in the body 25, would have had to be removed to enable the horizontal wire 37 to be passed through the uninterrupted second bore, then round the end post, and back to and through the first through-bore with wedging means.

The hooks 35A, 35B are stiffened by integral around flanges 41A, 41B, which together with the indented flanks 32 of the body 25 help to minimise the weight of material needed in the body without sacrificing its strength.

A small hole 42 is provided alongside the entry end 43 of the first through-bore 26 (see particularly FIG. 6) to enable a rod to be inserted to push the roller 27 against the urge of the spring 28, to enable the wire end 38 to be released if it is necessary to disconnect the stock fence from the end post 39.

In the wire termination device 45 in FIGS. 13 to 19 like reference numerals represent like or similar features to those of the device shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, the principal difference being that the first through-bore 26 with the wedging means 27 is parallel to the second through-bore 33 interrupted by the notch 34. Also to be noted as differences are the thinner portions 46 of the body 25 clinched in slightly towards each other to secure the abutment 29 for the spring 28, and the blind opening 47 in one end of the body 25 to save weight of zinc alloy without sacrificing strength.

As can be seen in FIG. 19, the effect of having the through-bores 26, 33 in parallel is that the free end 38 of the horizontal wire 37 needs to be quite distinctly kinked to enable it to be inserted into the through-bore 26, with the device 45 reasonably close to the end post 39. Thus, it is not possible to tighten the loop of the wire 37 round the post by pulling the free end 38 relative to the device 45, so tensioning can only be effected when the wire 37 has been connected to a corresponding horizontal wire in a successive length of stock fence (not shown) by a connecting and tensioning device (not shown) of the type having parallel through-bores each of which has associated wedging means preventing withdrawal of wires inserted from opposite directions.

This restriction can be alleviated by means of the modified wire termination device 48 shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 in which like reference numerals represent like features to those of the device 45 shown in FIGS. 13 to 19, but, while the through-bores 26, 33 lie in a common plane, they diverge at about 30°, so that the transition of the free end 38 of the horizontal wires 37 through the device is easier than through the device 45. Furthermore, the greater depth that can be afforded to the “hook” portion 35A affords greater security of the device 48 on the horizontal wire 37 than with the device 45. 

1. A wire termination device of the type having a body with a first through-bore into which protrudes wedging means urged by spring means, and having a second through-bore without wedging means, characterised in that the second through-bore is interrupted by a transverse notch in the body of a width commensurate with the diameter of the horizontal wires of a stock fence with which the device is to be used, and each portion of the body separated by the notch is provided with a longitudinal entry slot into the second through-bore commensurate with the diameter of said horizontal wires, with the slot in one portion at the opposite side of the body to the slot in the other portion.
 2. A wire termination device as in claim 1 characterised in that the second through bore is parallel to the first through-bore.
 3. A wire termination device as in claim 1 characterised in that the second through-bore is in the same plane as the first through-bore but divergent therefrom.
 4. A wire termination device as in claim 1, characterised in that the second through-bore is perpendicular to the first through-bore.
 5. A wire termination device as in claim 4, characterised in that both bores lie in the same plane.
 6. A wire termination device as in claim 4, characterised in that the through-both bores lie in separate planes.
 7. A wire termination device as in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the body portions are stiffened by integral arcuate flanges.
 8. A wire termination device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 or FIGS. 13 to 18 or as modified by FIG. 20 of the accompanying drawings. 